A PALYNOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF ENDEMIC TAXA FROM NORTHERN CYPRUS

Palynology of 19 endemic plant taxa belonging to 9 families distributed in North Cyprus was investigated by both light (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The pollen grains were measured and their aperture characteristics and surface ornamentation determined. The systematic positions of the taxa as well as the genera they belonged to were investigated according to the data obtained. The largest pollen grains were found in Salvia veneris Hedge and the smallest ones in Onosma caespitosum Kotschy. The pollen type was generally termed trizonocolpate, pollen shapes spheroidal, prolate, subspheroidal, perprolate, supraprolate, pollen structure tectate and semitectate, and ornamentation scabrate, striate, microechinate, microperforate, reticulate, microreticulate, bireticulate, psilate and rugulate.